| Summary: | Caccavo, Jilda A. . et al.-- 10th Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Open Science Conference (SCAR 2022), 1-10 August 2022 Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems are under increasing pressure from climate change and human impacts, which have already caused significant changes in these ecosystems. The first Marine Ecosystem Assessment for the Southern Ocean (MEASO) harmonised data on status and changes in Southern Ocean ecosystems to inform policy makers at the local and global scale, representing a truly international collaboration of over 200 researchers from 19 countries, with strong engagement from Early Career Researchers. MEASO highlighted the importance of key species and groups in structuring Southern Ocean ecosystems and performing key functions including carbon and nutrient cycling, and the transfer of energy to support vast biological populations, fisheries, and wildlife tourism. MEASO assessed the potential for future changes in water temperatures, ocean chemistry and sea ice, to generate major shifts in ecosystems over the coming decades. MEASO outputs emphasised Southern Ocean ecosystems’ integral connection to the global ocean and human systems across the planet - only by mitigating climate change, alongside effective local conservation and management can we safeguard these vulnerable ecosystems and their societal benefits now and into the future. This presentation will highlight MEASO outcomes and recent fora in which these messages were shared (e.g. COP26). MEASO syntheses are intended to be repeated at regular time intervals to assess and quantify ongoing changes in the system and underpin effective decision-making around climate change mitigation, conservation and management of environmental change in this climate-sensitive region. We welcome continued and diverse engagement from the community to contribute to future MEASOs Peer reviewed
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